Abstract. In recent decades, the significant advances in digital technologies applied to cultural heritage have led to profound transformations in the activities of protection, conservation and enhancement. A current field of experimentation concerns 'rapid mapping' survey techniques with mobile mapping system (MMS). The use of these methodologies is increasingly widespread for the diagnostic and monitoring phases of the architectures. The potential of these techniques are manifold: these systems record, in a short time, a large number of information with a rather high level of accuracy. In particular, the research presented here has studied an 'innovative' Lidar mobile mapping methodology, NavVis VLX, with experimental perspectives, for the survey of the Cripta of the Cathedral of San Matteo in Salerno (Italy).

This research focuses on studying low-cost techniques for rapid mapping, utilizing sensors equipped on smartphones. These devices were installed on a radio-controlled vehicle to conduct an experimental campaign aimed at evaluating the performance of LiDAR sensor. By collecting data, machine learning algorithms were employed for the detection of architectural defects.